Following the Blue Whale Challenge, city doctors explain how you can fight this new form of addiction.

Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying doesn't require physical strength or face-toface contact and isn't limited to a handful of witnesses at a time, like in the recently concluded show Pretty Little Liars. Photo: Mail Today

An online gaming challenge was allegedly responsible for the suicide of a 14-year-old Mumbai teenager. Called the Blue Whale Challenge, the online game is rumoured to psychologically provoke players to participate in dangerous, self-harming tasks for 50 days, with each task more sinister than the previous one, till the game culminates in suicide.

The participants are required to share photographs or videos of the task to prove that it's been completed. If a person fails to follow through or tries to quit, then he/she is also said to receive threats promising dire consequences. Reports state that Philipp Budeikin, a Russian citizen who allegedly created the game, has said that he created the game to clean the society by provoking people who think they aren't worthy of living to commit suicide.

Even though it might all seem like speculation, this online game is said to have killed hundreds across the worldwide, starting with more than 100 youngsters in Russia itself.

Tanya Tayal, psychologist, department of mental health and behavioural sciences, Fortis Hospital, Noida, says, "Addiction to online gaming or challenges like the Blue Whale Challenge, is compulsive. The individual needs to return to online world to feel calm, which interferes with the daily living activities of the person. It has a wholesome effect on the person's personality wherein his work/academics, relationships and health are all affected," And most of the time, the person might not be aware of his/her addiction.

Doctors say that when it comes to the online world, people are quite vulnerable as the virtual world lets them to do whatever they want, which in turn, gives them an adrenaline boost. Though there is no specific type of personality that gravitates towards such games, people with low self-esteem, who thrive on approval from their peers and are willing to do anything to show a certain image, are mostly likely to fall into this trap. "Teenagers generally take these risks because they are vulnerable and prone to seek validation. Also, it makes them feel like they are a part of something that is bigger than them," Samir Parikh, director of the Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences at Fortis Healthcare, New Delhi, says.

People with low self-esteem, who thrive on approval from their peers, are most likely to fall into the trap of cyberbullying. Photo: Mail Today

And so, doctors say, it's upto the people around these tech-savvy, glued-to-the-virtual-world youngsters, to keep an eye out for warning signs. Listing some of Dr Minakshi Manchanda, senior consultant, Psychiatry, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, says, "Feelings restlessness and/or irritable when he/she is unable to play, lying to friends or family members and isolation are some of the common warning signs."

Online games that feature violent actions and scenarios may lead addicted players to become desensitised to the violence, leading them to have a detached view of society or develop aggressive thoughts and tendencies. Dr Manish Jain, consultant, psychiatry, BLK Super Speciality Hospital, adds, "Experiencing calmness, peacefulness, or euphoria while playing (especially if these emotions are not experienced otherwise), insomnia or significant change in sleep patterns, decreased personal hygiene and poor or irregular eating habits, are some other signs to watch out for." Being addicted has one other dangerous drawback - it makes you prone to cyberbullying.

Doctors say this challenge is an obvious form of cyberbullying, the occurrence of which is quite high - one third of teenagers have suffered from cyberbullying at some time in their lives - thanks to the ample usage of Internet, emails, social media websites, chat rooms, or other digital technology.

All these can be used to harass, threaten or humiliate people. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying doesn't require physical strength or face-to-face contact and isn't limited to just a handful of witnesses at a time. So, cyberbullies come in all shapes and sizes - almost anyone with an Internet connection can torment someone else, often without having to reveal their identity. This can happen 24*7 and the bullying can follow the victim anywhere. And hence, no place, not even home, feels safe, and with a few clicks the humiliation can be witnessed by hundreds or even thousands of people online," says Dr Minakshi.

Participants of the Blue Whale Challenge have to share photographs or videos of the task to prove its completion. Photo: Mail Today

Steps to follow if you're being bullied in the virtual world:

- Save the evidence of the cyberbullying. Keep abusive text messages or a screenshot of the webpage, for example, and then report them to a trusted adult, such as a family member, teacher, or school counsellor. If you don't report incidents, the cyberbully will often become more aggressive.

- Report threats of harm and inappropriate sexual messages to the police. In many cases, the cyberbully's actions can be prosecuted by law.

- Cyberbullying is rarely limited to one or two incidents. It's far more likely to be a sustained attack on you over a period of time. So, like the cyberbully, you may have to be relentless and keep reporting each and every bullying incident until it stops. There is no reason for you to ever put up with cyberbullying.

- Prevent communication from the cyberbully, by blocking their email address, cell phone number, and deleting them from social media contacts. Report their activities to their internet service provider (ISP) or to any social media or other web sites they use to target you. The cyberbully's actions may constitute a violation of the website's terms of service or, depending on the laws in your area, may even warrant criminal charges.

Photo: Mail Today

HELP THOSE IN NEED: Here's how you can aid those you think are victims of online game addiction and hence, cyberbullying

- Counselling and behaviour modification are the primary means of treating addicts. Together, individual and family counselling are powerful treatment tools. Some treatment facilities incorporate medication in their programs.

- Unlike drugs or alcohol, this is tied to computers, which are a key part of life for most people. In that way, the addiction is similar to a food addiction. As a result, some treatment centres explore controlled use rather than abstinence.

- An intervention might work. Family members and friends confront the addict with the consequences of the addiction, and outline what treatment for addiction looks like and how it can help. Often, these interventions are surprisingly effective. The addict learns that the behaviour is both public and noticeable, and the addict also learns that treatment is both available and effective.

- Going cold-turkey doesn't help. Help the child identify the times he/she feels a compulsive urge to go back to the challenge/game. Understand that quitting addiction would have a emotional consequences on the child for the withdrawal period. Support the child in his times of weakness.